Vegetable gardens for everyone!

So, as an extension of my herb garden, I have decided to try my hand at a vegetable garden.  No, I do not actually have any land.  But yes, I have a wonderful south-facing balcony.  Yesterday, after work, I ran to Osh before it closed and got the following: tomato, bush bean, and zucchini plant  I also got some compost, some soil addition, and a tomato cage.  All for $11 buckaroos. 

Now, I just have to get some soil to put into the giant container I got at Target and be on my way.  I'm afraid that my container may be too shallow, but we'll see if it works.  If not, not a big deal. 

On a related note, the First Family has also decided to grow a vegetable garden.  Albeit, they have 1,000 square feet to do so (compared to my 20 square foot balcony).  I will post pictures as soon as I get going.

Stating the obvious

Apparently, some people in Chicago asked people while they were in the hospital to name doctors that may be taking care of them and 75% of them failed to name a single person on the team taking care of them.  Is this a surprise?  Not to me.  I'm surprised if the patient even recognizes me as a doctor.  

Today, I was taking care of an 87 year old man (yeah, I'm not doing Ob/Gyn at this moment - I'm actually doing a rotation on inpatient adult medicine right now) and did my rounds, said, "Hello, my name is Dr. Truong and I will be the doctor taking care of you today."  I turn around, see another patient, and go back to see him and he looks at me, looks at his son (who appeared in those 5 minutes), and I introduce myself again.  He then says, "Wait, you're a doctor?"  Maybe it's because he was old, had hit his head, or because I seemed too young (he kept on asking me when I started medical school) - either way, he had no idea what my role was, let alone my name, even though I had told him no more than 5 minutes before.  

However, I guess the question to be asking is whether this matters.  Does it matter that this 87 year old man didn't know my name?  Or that I was a doctor?  It certainly doesn't matter in terms of his ability to get in contact with me - as his nurse is aware of who I am and they're the ones (incessantly) paging me anyways.  It would matter to his son, who seemed to be more in tune to what was happening to him and concerned about the quality of care he was getting (which he stated was much better than an unnamed private insurer/hospital system that he belonged to).  

Does it make me feel bad and hurt my feelings - thereby making me less likely to provide optimal care?  Certainly not.  Dear, I can't even remember half my patients' names sometimes, so I cannot blame them. Does that make me a bad doctor?  I don't think it does.  Does it make me a bad person?  Possibly so.

Hopes and fears

I watch the inauguration with grand hopes that this country will be greater than it has for the last 8 years. 

However, as I watch the President and the First Lady walk the parade route, I can't help but be scared for their safety.  Would I be as fearful were they not black?  Probably not.  Would I have reason to be as fearful?  Probably not.

Paging Dr. CNN

So, the blogs are all abuzz about the rumor that Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of CNN medical correspondent fame, was approached to be the next Surgeon General.  What do I think about this?  I think that surely, we must have more qualified doctors than a talking head on tv.  Am I biased against doctors on TV?  Yeah because I don't think that you can ever be a good one (don't even get my started on the show, "The Doctors"... an Oprah spinoff which no one, including Ms. Winfrey herself, should ever watch). 

 

At one point, I wanted to be Surgeon General.  I think I might have even mentioned that on a medical school admission essay or two (or at least thought about putting that in).  I still think that it'd be pretty nice to be Surgeon General, but my sights are on other positions (HHS Secretary is a good start, then WHO director or UNAIDS director - hey, maybe even throw in a MacArthur genius grant somewhere in there).  However, I think that whoever holds that post should be someone more than a (non-)talking head.  They should be ready to elevate the position to something of stature, and elevate it beyond the public health ruins in which it currently finds itself - especially with a willing and ready president, as I hope Obama will be (my hope for his first act as President, as others before him - repeal the Mexico City Policy).

 

On the other hand, I find it encouraging that someone who is merely 39 may be Surgeon General.  That gives me a chance at doing before I'm 35.

 

Duh

This article just came out in the New England Journal of Medicine and it states the obvious - that medical students are graduating from medical school with a mountain of debt.  Upon looking at that mountain of debt, some people who went to medical school to work in primary care or in underserved areas may be swayed to choose more lucrative careers. 

In short, I am one of those quarter of people who graduate from medical school with more than $200,000 in debt.  Yes, you read that right, $200,000.  I think it's a touchy subject because a lot of people don't like talking about money, especially debt money.  However, I think that it's important to consider.  That's enough money to buy a house.  That's enough money to start a small business.  With the interest and eventual pay back, I will have paid back nearly half a million dollars.  Half a million dollars.  Sometimes it's unbelievable to myself.  Sometimes I stop looking at the monthly interest statements that come to my mailbox, in hopes that maybe all of that debt will go away. 

With the mountains and mountains of debt that I have, I am definitely not one of those doctors that laments the "pitiful" income that doctors make.  I think we forget that, even as a resident, I get paid more than the average American.  Granted, I have gone through much more school and training than the average American, but that doesn't make me more privy to a decent income than the next person.  More often than not, I find myself grateful that I can make a more than comfortable income doing something that I love doing. 

I was also fortunate enough to have fallen in love with a medical specialty that pays more than the average primary care income.  With my debt, I am looking at monthly payments of $5,000, or annual payments of $60,000.  If I went into internal medicine or family medicine, that would be more than half of my take home income.  That's downright crazy.  There have to be better ways of going about doing this.  I understand that debt is something that is inevitable, but when is too much too much? 

Somewhere, someone is thinking...

to ban shoes from all press briefing rooms. 

And in that same room, someone is pulling their hair out.

A time for firsts

The first Vietnamese-American Congressperson was elected recently. How cool is that? Well, not too cool that it's taken this long, but pretty cool that this happened - and in the South.

This still leaves room for the First Vietnamese-American woman in the House of Representatives, or better yet, the First Vietnamese-American in the Senate. Let the plotting begin.

Bummer

If this is true, I'm totally bummed.  Leave it to me and get my hopes up that the Secretary of Health and Human Services have actual experience working in either health or human services (ahem, Howard Dean).

7 years and going

It's funny how September 11th will never just be another day of the year. Just as people remember their birthdays, the birthday of their children, their wedding day, and other special occasions, people will remember September 11th. However, it won't be a happy memory, as it will be remembered as the day America stood still.

Just a note to remember those who lost their lives.

Feminism, redefined.

After reading this article by Maureen O'Dowd, I am convinced that I am a staunch feminist in some respects (I like to use "Ms.", I will keep my name after marriage, I don't mind paying for my own meals, and I hate playing games) and I wonder if that will change if I'm not married with 2.4 children and own a house with a white picket fence within 10 years.

Will I miss the apocalypse?

Every morning, regardless of how late I am waking up or what other important things I just have to do, I check The New York Times and BBC News... Just in case something catastrophic happened when I was sleeping.

Really, it's an obsession and not healthy. But then again, who said I was sane and healthy? By the way, I've had a stomach ache for a good week now. Maybe I should be more worried about that than the daily news.

Long time, no see

I have no idea why I haven't been posting lately. Really, I've been bored out of my mind. I haven't really done anything all exciting yet there's been a lot to comment on in the world. Terri Schiavo died. The Pope has passed. Wolfowitz is head of the World Bank.

And I am home on a Saturday night two weekends in a row.

Vietnamese Americans

As a Vietnamese American who fled post-war Vietnam (albeit, I was a mere 6 months old), I have very personal ties to issues surrounding the Vietnam War and Vietnamese people living in America. So, today, I was reading the New York Times online and came across an interesting story that relates to both of these issues.

Summarizing, the story is of the Oakland Musem in California going through a very deliberative process involving the Vietnamese American community to determine what should be displayed in an exhibit on the Vietnam War. I have very strong feelings about censorship and believe that because something is seen as "offensive," that does not automatically mean that it should not be displayed. The danger in that is the line between offensive and non-offensive is merely subjective and if it's drawn one way or another, it comes very close to censorship. Ultimately, in this situation, I think that community input is very valuable, but it is the museum's decision as to what to display and what not to display.

However, this also brings up a point about Vietnamese Americans and their political involvement. Sadly, Asian Americans are seen as rather apathetic politically and because they do not participate where it counts (i.e. voting), politicians tend not to pay much attention to issues facing Asian Americans. However, I find that Vietnamese Americans, though they fit the general mold, are very passionate when the issue involves the war. I think it's interesting because, like many other groups, they only become passionate when the issue is strictly personal. Sometimes I find it frustrating, especially when trying to talk to my parents about why they should care about gay marriage or abortion rights.

As a person of Vietnamese descent and someone who believes passionately in political involvement, I would like to see a situation where the Vietnamese community, and the Asian American community at large, is not personally involved and they take a stance. I would like to see a large contingent of Asian Americans at political rallies (of either party) and see them at the polls and see them as delegates at the conventions. Sadly, though Asian Americans make up a small percentage of the American population, we make up an even smaller percentage of voters and political activists.

What is the solution? Ah, who knows. I believe that only when the point is made that political involvement is not only an option in issues that are directly personally relevant, but also in issues that are indirectly relevant will Asian Americans really have an impact. Maybe it's my optimism and my idealism peeking through, but I do think that however small a minority (whether it be ethnic or by some other social construct), they can get their voices heard.

ironic liberties

so, i've gotten into the habit of switching between bbc news and cnn in the mornings. today, all they could talk about was: the new orange alert for financial institutions, the statue of liberty opening up for the first time since september 11, and the church bombings in iraq.

for those of you who are unaware, i dislike bush. i wouldn't really say hate because it's such a strong word, but it's as close to hate as you can get without saying it. in terms of my political leanings, i'm close to being bleeding heart liberal. on most issues, i can see and will listen to logical arguments on both sides. however, there are two issues on which i cannot ever compromise my opinion: a woman's right to choose and civil liberties. these two things are the ones that i feel bush has attacked most in his term as president. the first, he has attacked on numerous accounts, especially in terms of foreign aid. on the second, he claims to have preserved while making sneaky moves behind the scenes to deny some people the liberties that all deserve.

it's ironic that on the day before the statue of liberty is opening up to the public again that tom ridge steps up to the podium to say that we are now orange instead of perpetually yellow. it's ironic that as we say we are fighting for the liberties and freedom of the iraqis, liberties and freedoms of americans are being taken away. it's ironic that a president that was never properly elected is trying to establish a legitimate democracy in afghanistan and iraq. it's ironic that bush did not seek international approval when engaging in war but now seeks it to legitimize iraq's new government.

after watching the democratic national convention (see my other blog for details on that adventure), i am sincerely keeping my fingers cross that kerry and edwards has what it takes. just a few more months.

everyone, look!

just a quick posting to say that everyone should read an article in the la times by my friend, eric! it's his second article for the la times and isn't he just awesome? wow, i'm gushing.

you'll need to register for the article, so use this one:
login / oopsies
password / oopsies

enjoy!

what has this world come to?

so, i read cnn.com something like ten million times a day, to see what's up. there's never enough news to keep my satisfied, but i'm fascinated by the fact that violent, offensive actions against the united states have escalated since we "declared and end to conflict." how can it be an end to conflict when people are still hungry, people are still armed, and people are still angry? in an article on cnn.com, it describes how a military person (i don't know his exact title) said it's one of the deadliest months since conflict ended. there's something seriously wrong in this situation. does no one else see it? how come i don't see any commentary on it? this may be because i'm isolated from the rest of the world and don't have access to a paper everyday (though i'm seriously debating getting the NY Times delivered - it's surprisingly cheaper than the Boston Globe).

on a similar, somewhat unrelated note, i'm listening to justin timberlake and black eye peas "where is the love". it's an awesome song. i think that people need to listen to it. it's pop, and i admit, i feel guilty for downloading so much justin timberlake, but i love this song. "people killing people dying children hurting hear them crying. practice what you preach don't you turn the other cheek.... where is the love?" now, i'm not trying to get some deep philosophical meaning out of a pop song, but i mean, i wish that the public would question what war and conflict means in this new world of ours. at the same time that we're getting overloaded with information about jessica lynch, no one is paying attention to what's still happening in the place that she left.

oh well. i don't know what i'm trying to say. random stuff, all i can say. my mind's shot after looking at biochemistry for the past three days.

ah! now med school is catching up to me. i hate studying. maybe i should have realized this before i decided to go back to school. oh well.

i was reading some newspaper articles that my dad had sent to me after Arnold was elected governor and it's rather interesting. I won't dwell on it too much, but I was fascinated in that the Democrats managed to lose their base voters (Latinos, women, and union households) to Arnold. However much I'd like to criticize Arnold or the voters, I think that part of the blame goes to the Democrats themselves for losing touch with a use-to-be solid base of voters among those populations. It's sad.

And isn't it a sad, sad world when Scary Movie 3 breaks box office records?

And the Marlins win the world series! How wonderful is it when the underdogs win something so grand? Though I don't even know where in Florida they play (from Orlando to Miami to South Beach), it's ok... all I know is that it's great when the team with money loses. Will this finally make Yankee fans quiet? I doubt it, but it's nice that the Red Sox fans aren't too loud anymore since they lost. It's like a different world here.

On another note, I was doing laundry today and managed to sort of run into a wall, while carrying my laundry basket in front of me, effectively getting it rammed into my stomach. Yeah, genius at work.

So, I took my first final today. It just seems wrong to have a final a month into class and just two weeks after your midterm. But I guess me thinking it's wrong won't change anything. Ah wells.

so, CNN reports that there's no "smoking gun" to prove that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Is that really a surprise to anyone? I guess it's a little bit of a surprise. Though I am a little bit of a pacifist and would like to think that people don't lie, we are talking politics here and anything's possible (even my dad, a registered Republican, saying he's voting for the Green party candidate in the recall). But then , on the other hand, we lie too. I'm sure that there may have been some evidence of WMD, but I doubt that it was non-refutable, concrete evidence. Plus, I have moral issues against pre-emptive strikes. Why don't we go out and burn our neighbor's house down because we think ten years down the line he might want to do the same to us? Ok, weird situation, but you get my point (or if not, then ignore the previous few sentences of babble).

I watched President Bush's speech at the signing of the first appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Gosh, can we get more kiss-ass with the military? Can we get more paranoid about all the dangerous people "out there"? What about the dangerous people in our country you're letting roam free with automatic rifles used for "hunting"? Ha, gosh, political tirade in the happening. I actually didn't listen to much of the substance of his speech, or any of his speeches for that matter. I just can't bring myself not to hate him if I listen to what he's actually saying. I just pretend that I'm listening to people think that I'm a fair observer, but to tell you the truth, I'm not. However, I'd have to say that I still stick to what I said when he was first elected: "Bush being president will be interesting to watch as a political scientist, though I think I will disagree with nearly everything he says or does."

Meanwhile, the A's squeezed by with a win against the Red Sox last night. I missed the game, and as Eric pointed out, it was too late for me to be watching anyways (though I was up til 1, unfortunately). Here, I have to be a loyal, but reserved A's fan as it's a dangerous place for non-Red Sox fans, especially if the team you're rooting for is playing them for a title).

Greatest thing I saw yesterday: Boston Herald flier with "Kick A's" on the side of a newspaper stand. I stole it, but don't know what to do with it. Any ideas?